I am a board certified internal medicine physician. I can answer virtually any message about health and disease. I am a lover of the outdoors and spend most of my time hunting and fishing. I plan on starting trapping this year in the Colorado high country during Elk season. Ask away.

lol,,do u make housecalls cheap??? To the republic of the Philippines?
WELCOME DOC! MABUHAY

NO house calls! LOL. Well with OBAMACARE coming maybe I will HAVE to make house calls.

Welcome and thanks for the offer to spread the wealth of knowledge. Everyone should have access to free helathcare info...lol..

8000 meters, going to the Himalayas???

the good thing with your name is that you only have to do it 14 times.

Doc, with Obamacare you won't be able to afford the gas or the car to make house calls with what I here they want to do to reimbursement rates. You may be better collecting in chickens and furs.

Welcome and thanks.

I do have one question that may good for all. What diseases are we as trappers exposed to from the animals we trap and what parts of the animal are they spread from. Like rabies I know we want to avoid brain matter and saliva. But how long does the virus live once the animal is dead. What other diseases are there we need to worry about the most.

Thanks

What do you see as the end result of the regulations coming? Will doctors stop accepting patients that are on the government system? I understand some hospitals and doctors are currently not participating in the medicaid / medicare system. I also know doctors here locally that are trying to go to an all cash patient system and have lower rates for those that choose cash over insurance, significantly lower.

Andy I cant say about the medicaid/medicare deal but A lot of them down here want except Fedral Workmens compt right now

What I think will eventually mandated is that doctors take a percentage of Federal Insurance. They will simply tie it to your State medical license.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/26/mayo-clinic-kicks-medicare-to-the-curb/

This what i referred to. The Mayo Clinic in Scotsdale AZ decided to stop dealing with medicare because it was no t profitable any longer. This is the test case for the Mayo Clinic and real black eye for the current adminstration.

What is your opinion of the FDA and how new cures seem to be controlled/released ? Seems to me like everytime something to help with a type of cancer (ie the new prostate cancer medicine that "may " give you a year or 2 for several thousand), that the new research/announced drug is always "at least 10 years away". To me it just seems like a glimmer of hope to make people think they (drug companies/specialty clinics), are doing "something" to make keep the funding /donations coming in.

IMO these companies/hospitals/ "big pharma" don't want to get the magic pill or even one that cures the majority of cancers. Esp when they can make so much $$ ( I hear upwards of 6 $figures ) per patient,with chemo treatments. I have read that many doctors would not even take chemo if they were sick because it does more bad than good.

Yes, I do believe in natural cures/treatments, which I realize is the enemy of the FDA, Big Pharma, and maybe people with professions such as yours.

Thanks
TB

No comment

Please ?

what are the best precautions for trappers to protect against rabies

A tMan doctor. Interesting. Hard to pass up free medical expertise.

I'm glad to see a doctor on here. 8,000 meters you should go to trapper's conventions to practice medicine, just kidding.

Make certain the animal is dead before going up to it.

After you know the animal is dead, remember that the virus lives on in the brain and saliva. Wearing gloves when skinning, good gloves not the cheap thin ones that tear easy. If you are going to mess with skulls, then let them sit in warm temps for several days.

I do collection for testing and the preferred way to preserve the virus for testing in the brain is to freeze, so don't think that freezing will do anything. Actually warm temps will kill the virus in the brain once the animal is dead.

Avoid scratches and if you have any open sores make sure they are well covered.

Is it mainly skunks that have rabies?

No, skunks are one of many vector species who are the "primary" concern but everything from bats to chipmunks to horses can have rabies.

Most states have information on rabies, some like my home state will list the actual animal and town it was found. Other's list different information.

AJE check out https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/rabies/index.htm

Interesting. Thanks.